Thursday, March 6, 2008

Tim O’Hare wants to be Farmers Branch’s next mayor

O'Hare's vision for the city includes economic development, park beautification, low taxes, and better law enforcement

By Catherine Cuellar

Farmers Branch Mayor Pro Tem Tim O'Hare

FARMERS BRANCH — Tim O'Hare has a vision for Farmers Branch, where he has lived 34 of his 38 years.

"I think Farmers Branch is the type of community that doesn't mind being a leader in whatever they're doing. We've done new and innovative things to bring in development. We were at the forefront of the immigration debate."

That's how O'Hare made a name for himself. In 2006, O'Hare introduced the ordinance which fines landlords who rent to undocumented residents. The ordinance passed 2-to-1 in May 2007, and O'Hare's fellow council members David Koch and Tim Scott, who ran in support of the law, bested their competitors by the same margin.

This year, O'Hare wants to replace retiring mayor Bob Phelps, even as the town is expected to spend millions of dollars defending itself from lawsuits related to the ordinance O'Hare crafted.

"I want to talk about more than immigration," O'Hare said, "but I will answer your questions."

O'Hare was shy to talk with Pegasus News. After we interviewed his opponent in what O'Hare dismissed as a "puff piece," Pegasus offered O'Hare a fair shake. In an attempt to earn O'Hare's trust, first I admit my bias. My grandfather and his brothers started El Chico, which grew to be the largest Hispanic-founded business in the greater Dallas area during the 20th century. It was headquartered in Farmers Branch from the late 1960s until the restaurants were sold in the 1990s.

O'Hare agreed to talk, as he says he will communicate with all Farmers Branch residents, regardless of whether or not they agree with him.

"During the three years I've been here, I always return every single phone call from any resident. I always respond to every single e-mail. ... A lot of people have this idea it's the Tim O'Hare show going on. It's me listening to other people and trying to do what our residents want."

Among the voters O'Hare has responded to are my cousins Adrien Cuellar-McGuire and Christopher McGuire, who led the United Farmers Branch group that opposed the immigration ordinance O'Hare sponsored.

I asked O'Hare what, if anything, he would change about his immigration legislation and the media coverage it received.

"As far as the way we were portrayed in the media, it depends on which media source you're referring to," O'Hare says. "In some newspapers we were portrayed as villains. On some radio stations we were portrayed as heroes. ... If I had it to do over again, I probably would've recommend we take the steps we took sooner."

Even though the city is getting sued?

"Does it cost money to fight these lawsuits? Yes," O'Hare says. "What is the cost of letting it run rampant? What is the cost of not addressing it? ... The costs associated with illegal immigration from building new schools to teacher stipends to code issues to everything you can think of? First and foremost, it's a matter of law. When I took office I swore to uphold the constitution of the United States and the laws of the United States, and it is against the law to harbor an illegal alien. ... If we didn't address that, we're just ignoring the constitution and laws of the U.S. and I don't think that's the way to a healthy nation or a healthy city."

O'Hare also points out that Farmers Branch residents pay relatively few taxes compared to neighboring towns.

"We have one of the lowest city tax rates in the Metroplex, and during the entire time I've been on the council, three years, we have never increased the tax rate. Having that low tax rate encourages businesses to come in."

Among those businesses is the Mercer Crossing development. O'Hare boasts it will have "500,000 square feet of retail space, Mediterranean style architecture, shops, restaurants, parks, plazas, open spaces, enhancement of the lake, walking trails. That's a vacant piece of land now, and within two years that's going to be a thriving residential/office/shopping area, and the tax revenue that will bring into the city will be enormous."

O'Hare also touts new senior citizen residences breaking ground later this year as part of the planned community surrounding the new DART station.

"We have a ton of senior citizens that live in Farmers Branch and they love Farmers Branch. They want to stay in Farmers Branch but they don't want to keep their house with two stories and have to mow yards, but they don't want to leave the city."

Like these residents, O'Hare plans to live out his days in the city of his birth.

"I love Farmers Branch, as corny as it may sound. ... I'm blessed to live in any city I want to, and this is where I want to be."

Related stories

• Candidates for city councils, school boards must file by 5 p.m. Monday (March 9, 2008)
• Week-in-view: Let it Snow! Edition (March 7, 2008)

See more stories in:

• Immigration > Farmers Branch Xenophobia
• Politics and Government > City Government > Farmers Branch

Comments

Kevin Kunreuther Verified

Nice Nixon shadow with that baby face - yeah, this guy is going places - next stop, U.S. House of Rep, the Senate, perhaps the V.P. - you read it here first.

4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

xdavidwattsx Anonymous

Who knew hating mexicans could take you so far?

4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )